Bissula. English

  CHAPTER LVII.

  But the Batavian was suddenly startled from his mythological studies.He heard from the east a shout in German: "Romans! Romans! On them!"and saw a boat filled with Alemanni steer toward them.

  "Quick! Disperse in every direction!" he called, and the boatscontaining the fugitives scattered. He soon lost sight of two, whichattracted the attention of the pursuers and were driven by the Germansout upon the lake toward the south. He himself steered and rowed at thesame time, assisted by several soldiers, close in to the shorewestward, where by good fortune he reached a small patch of rushes,among which he hid the boat; the second one, containing Decius, soonjoined him.

  From this place Ausonius, who by Saturninus's order was watching theshore to see if they could rescue any fugitive Romans, perceived by thedim light of morning the figure of a girl in a gleaming white robe, whowas running at her utmost speed straight toward the boats. He alreadythought he recognized Bissula when her cry fell upon his ear: "Adalo,Alemanni, help Bissula!" He also saw a horseman dashing in furiouspursuit down the hill. He ordered the men to row quickly shoreward.Prosper, even Rignomer, hesitated. "My lord," the latter warned him,"they will murder us all!"

  "No matter! Bissula! It is for Bissula!"

  Then Rignomer instantly obeyed. Hidden behind his sail he had not seenthe young girl, and could not hear her; but now he turned the helm, andsent the boat with the speed of lightning toward the shore, at the sametime urging the soldiers to row with all their might. The rest of themen now recognized the fugitive, and so the rescuers came just in timeto save her from sinking.

  Bissula, whose strength was completely exhausted, lay unconscious inthe bottom of the boat for a long, long time. Rignomer had rolled intoa bundle a fishing net which he found in the bow and put it under herhead for a pillow. Ausonius, sitting on a thwart, supported her lovelylittle head and gazed anxiously down into her face, while the Batavianrubbed her cold hands.

  Meanwhile the two boats left their hiding-place among the rushes, rowedfirst directly southward out upon the lake, and then by making a widecircuit to avoid pursuit, intended to turn toward Arbor. But they didnot go far.

  "What have you determined, General?" asked Decius, calling from thesecond boat as they rowed side by side.

  "To take vengeance," replied Saturninus savagely; "vengeance for thisunprecedented disgrace. As soon as I reach Arbor, I shall beseech theCaesar, if ever Saturninus deserved favor from the Empire, to give methree legions. The Barbarians shall be repaid this very night."

  "Stay," cried Rignomer. "I have long seen a Roman galley coming towardus."

  "Where? Whence?" asked Decius. "It probably contains Barbarians."

  "No, no! It is coming from the southwest. Look yonder--fromConstantia!"

  "Yes," exclaimed Decius. "That is the Emperor's swiftest ship; Irecognize it. It bears the great purple flag, so the Emperor himself ison board."

  "Or a Magister Militum sent by the Caesar," remarked Saturninus.

  The two boats remained motionless; the swift galley swept forward. Itmust at first have been supposed that the boats were filled withBarbarians, but the crew soon discovered that the men were Romans; andnow the ship reached them. On her deck, beside a richly armed officer,stood Nannienus. "O my friend," cried Saturninus, raising his head,"that we should meet again thus! And you, Andragathes, what do youbring? I hope help, reenforcements. We are defeated: army and ships arelost." He groaned aloud.

  "I know it, my Saturninus," replied the imperial envoy. "Nannienus,whom I took on board, here on the lake, flying in a Barbarian boat, hastold me all that he had himself experienced and what he feared for you.Alas! What is this little defeat? What are these two or three thousandmen, compared to the terrible blow which has fallen upon us?"

  "What has happened?" asked the Roman leader, startled.

  "A second Cannae, Gratianus says."

  "Oh, what a dreadful word is that!"

  "The Emperor Valens and his whole army are defeated, put to rout by theGoths at Adrianople. Forty thousand Romans lie dead upon their shields,thirty thousand are prisoners. The Emperor Valens while wounded wasburned during his flight, in a peasant's house. All the EasternProvinces are overrun by the Goths; even Constantinople is threatened.Gratianus has appointed you, Saturninus, commander-in-chief of thewhole trembling, orphaned Eastern Empire. He commands you to hasten atonce to Vindonissa, to lead his whole army thence against the Goths onthe Danube. You are his last hope, and the Empire's. 'Saturninus alonecan still save us,' he ordered me to tell you."

  "And this Saturninus is a bungler," groaned the Illyrian, "and awounded man, too. Attacked and disgracefully defeated by Suabianrobbers--beaten in every sense!" He laughed grimly.

  "Ha!" replied Nannienus mournfully, "that is nothing compared to myfate. An imperial fleet, under my command, captured and burned bymiserable fishing boats."

  "Alas," Saturninus continued, "and now I cannot even avenge myself andmy honor as a General on these miscreants. But the Empire--theEmperor's command overrules everything else. I obey. Turn the helm. Wewill go to Constantia, thence to Vindonissa. Come with me at once,Ausonius. Do you not hear?"

  "Directly," replied the latter. "She is opening her eyes."